Device for setting and controlling backfires



1952 A. B. EVERTS DEVICE FOR SETTING AND CONTROLLING BACKFIRES FiledJune 7, 1949 INVENTOR. A B EVERTS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 19, 1952 1DEVICE FOR SETTING AND CONTROLLING BACKFIRES Ambrose B. Everts,-Seattle, Wash.-,.de dicated to Q the free use of the People in theterritory of the United States Application June 7, 1949, Serial No.97,693

(Granted under the act of March 3,1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370O. G. 757) 1 Claim.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended bythe act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, ifpatented in any country, may be manufactured and used by or for theGovernment of the United States of America for governmental purposesthroughout the world without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. v

I hereby dedicate the invention herein described to the free use of thePeople in the territory of the United States to take effect on thegranting of a patent tome.

This invention relates to fire control and has among its objectsprovision of a device for setting and controlling backfires ingrasslands or the like, which is of a simple construction carrieddirectly on the back of a land vehicle, such as a fire engine, which maybe easily raised to inoperative position for transportation to and awayfrom grassland fires or lowered to operative position, and which may bequickly adjusted so as to set a fire on either side of the direction oftravel of the vehicle by throwing a flame to that side and to extinguishthe fire on the opposit side by spraying the grassland with a fireextinguishing fluid such as water on that side.

In general, according to the invention, the device has a rearwardlyextending support for attachment to the back of a land vehicle. A flamethrower is pivotally mounted on this support to move horizontally, sothat by simply adjustin it to either side of the support on its pivotalmounting, it is properly set to throw the flame to the desired side ofthe line of travel of the vehicle. A fire extinguishing fluid sprayer isalso pivotally mounted on the support to move horizon-tally, thusproviding a simple means for adjusting it to spray the grassland on theside opposite to that of the flame thrower.

Preferably, the support itself comprises tubes through which the fuelfor the flame thrower and fluid for the sprayer are carried. Also, thesupport is preferably provided at its forward end with a verticallypivotal mounting adapted to be attached to the back of the land vehicle,whereby the support readily may be raised to inoperative or lowered tooperative position, and is provided with a runner to ride over the landsurface while the device is in operation and with a resilient elementattached to the support and adapted to be attached to the land vehicle,quickly to return the support to operative position after the runnerengages and rides over an obstruction.

For a detail description of the invention, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a three-dimensionalviewshowing the device attached to theba'ck of a'fir engine, the fire engine, fuel and water tanks-and controlpanel being shown'schematically;

Figure 2 is a and v.

Figure 3 is asectionon the line 3-4 of Figurel.

In the drawing, the ventional design.

The device proper-is provided with afmainfsupport I2 made up of fourparallel rigid rearwardly extending tubes l3, l4, I'5',"a nd 16 securedto-'- gether as by welding. This support is secured to the back of thefire engine by a pivotal'joint I! so that it may be rais'ed'toinoperative position. When in operative position,-as shown in thedrawing, the support is held'a gai'nst sidesway by flexible chains l8and IS, a runner 20, such as a sled, for riding over the land beingsecured to the support. If the runner engages obstructions, it ridesover them, a resilient element 2| secured thereto and to the truckoperating quickly to return the support to operative position.

A flame thrower 25, provided with an ignition spark plug 26 and designedto mix and burn a fuel comprising oil and gas, is of a usual design.This flame thrower is pivotally mounted on a bracket 2'! as at pivot 28and locked in position with Wing nut 29. The bracket is pivotallymounted on the main support as at pivot 30. Thus, the flame thrower maybe easily and quickly adjusted so as to throw the flame to either sidesimply by swinging it to the desired side on the pivot 30 and looking itin position with a wing nut 3|.

A fire extinguishing fluid sprayer is also mounted on the main supportthrough an upright cylindrical bar 35. This sprayer comprises a tube 36provided with several spray nozzles 31, 38, 39, 40 and 4| communicatingwith the tube. The tube is slidingly and pivotally mounted on the bar bya bearing 42 attached near one end of'the tube. Thus, the sprayer may bequickly and easily adjusted upwardly and downwardly and to spray thesection on the lin'e' 2-2 of Figure fire engine I I ,of con- :grass onthe opposite side to that of the flam set by the flame thrower simply byswinging the tube 36 to its desired position on its bearing and lockingit in this position with a set screw 43.

Fuel for the flame thrower and water for the sprayer are supplied fromconventional type oil, gas and water pressure tanks 50, 5|, and 52,respectively, carried in the fire engine. Oil flows from its tankthrough a flexible tube 53, control valve 54, flexible tube 55, tube l3,and flexible tube 56 to the flame thrower. Gas flows from its tankIgnition of the fuel is provided by a battery 10,

push button switch H, and ignition coil 12 of ,a'

conventional buzzer type, the high tension, flexible spark plug wire 13leading from the coil through tube IE to the sparlrlplugandbeingsupported near the flame thrower by a rigid member 14 thus toprotect the wire from overheat.

Control valves 54, 58 and 63 and switch H are preferably arranged on apanel board 80 which,. due to the flexibility of the various tubesleading to it, may be located at any convenient place in the fireengine. As shown, the water strainer 62, battery 10 and ignition'ooil 12are also on the panel board, but this is not necessary.

In use, t he fire engine is driven along a line where'it is desired toset the back fire with the flame thrower and sprayer set in properpositions. The operator by opening the fuel and Water control valves andclosin the switch 1| starts the flame thrower and sprayer thus to setthe back fire in the desired direction.

. I claim: I v

A device for setting and controlling back fires comprising a rearwardlyextending support for attachment tothe back of a land vehicle,-a flamethrower pivotally mounted on the support so that it may be movedhorizontally and set to throw the flame to either side of the line oftravel of the vehicle, and a flame-extinguishing fluid sprayer pivotallymounted on the support so that it may be moved horizontally. and set tothrow a 4 spray to the side of the line of travel opposite to that ofthe flame thrower, said support being provided at its forward end with apivotal mounting adapted to be attached to the back of the vehicle sothat the support,flam'e thrower, and sprayer may be raised toinoperative position and lowered to operative position, being providedwith a runner to ride over the land surface when the support, flamethrower, and sprayer are in operative position, and being provided witha resilient element attached to it and adapted to be attached to thevehicle quickly to return the support, flame thrower, and sprayer tooperative position after the runner engages and rides over anobstruction.

AMBROSE B. EVERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS. 7

Number Name 7 Date 531,648 Risdon et al Jan. 1, 1895 533,577 Ainger Feb.5, 1895 851,011 Lamb Apr-. 23, 1907 r 899,404 Iten Sept. 22, 19081,254,145 Lieber Jan..22, 1918 1,399,229 Servoss Dec.5, 1921 1,526,642Nissley 1 Feb. .17, 1925 1,629,044 Morter May 17, 1927 1,799,035 Benienet a1. Mar. 31, 1931 1,940,170 Howery et al Dec. 19, 1933 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date France Jan. 7, 1924

